1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to fragments of human p97 (melanotransferrin) polypeptides having transport activity, including variants and combinations thereof, conjugates comprising said p97 fragments, and related methods of use thereof, for instance, to facilitate delivery of therapeutic and/or diagnostic agents across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and into the central nervous system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Overcoming the difficulties of delivering therapeutic or diagnostic agents to specific regions of the brain represents a major challenge to treatment or diagnosis of many central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including those of the brain. In its neuroprotective role, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) functions to hinder the delivery of many potentially important diagnostic and therapeutic agents to the brain.
Therapeutic molecules and genes that might otherwise be effective in diagnosis and therapy do not cross the BBB in adequate amounts. It is reported that over 95% of all therapeutic molecules do not cross the blood-brain barrier.
Accordingly, there is a need for compositions and methods that facilitate the delivery of therapeutic agents and other molecules across the blood-brain-barrier, for instance, to effectively treat certain diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) such as cancers, particularly those that have metastasized to the CNS. The present invention addresses these needs and offers other related advantages.